# Tell me about tea and iced tea **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 6, 2009, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-tea-and-iced-tea/512833 "2009-10-06T17:57:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-tea-and-iced-tea/512833/41 "2009-10-12T21:36:54Z")
> [@](#): > > Hot water may be hot water, but pouring boiling hot water over tea seem (IMO) to produce a better result than dumping tea in little bags into water that is merely hot. I’m sure the water you get out of your microwave is not boiling. I’m not sure at all about the temperature of water from his microwave. We have a dinky little microwave here at the office, and I’m still able to get water boiling in it. Admittedly, I do put it in for longer when I’m making black tea (which should be boiling) than when I’m making cocoa or herbal tea (which need only be hot). ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-tea-and-iced-tea/512833/42 "2009-10-12T22:20:55Z")
Snapple has some nice bottled variations that I can find in my grocery, although most of their stuff is way too sweet for me. I like their iced black tea…it comes in English Breakfast, Earl Grey and Orange Pekoe varieties. They are very lightly sweetened and weigh in at about 70-80 calories for the whole 16 ounce bottle. They also make some nice “not too sweet” fruit flavored red teas,…a peach, berry and orange IIRC, with about the same calorie count. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-tea-and-iced-tea/512833/43 "2009-10-12T22:26:14Z")
Bottled tea always tastes sour to me. I assume it’s the citric acid. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-tea-and-iced-tea/512833/44 "2009-10-16T03:34:04Z")
So far I’ve tried 5 varieties of Twinnings (hot) tea - English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast, Earl Grey, Lady Grey, and Darjeeling. So far, Darjeeling is the best. Really good stuff. I also like the flavor of Lady Grey, with orange and lemon peels used for flavoring. Where should I go from here? What’s the deal with herbal tea? ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-tea-and-iced-tea/512833/45 "2009-10-16T13:18:49Z")
WARNING: Sun tea is no longer recommended, because it can cause [dangerous levels of bacteria](http://www.snopes.com/food/prepare/suntea.asp)to grow in your refreshing beverage. I really like the alternative of brewing overnight in the the refrigerator. This is especially good when using grocery store tea bags, which can taste just fine, but also are very susceptible to overbrewing and getting unbearably tannic. Just follow the instructions in the link. If you like Darjeeling, may I recommend my favorite snobby tea: [Orthodox Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe Darjeeling](https://secure.uptontea.com/shopcart/item.asp?itemID=TD20). You can get a sample that will brew several cups of tea for $1.00. You will need a brewing device or strainer to use loose tea - I like a cup-sized basket, but a tea sock or ball would be OK to see if you like it, or you can brew in one vessel and strain through a kitchen seive into another. ([Here](http://blog.thesimpleleaf.com/2006/07/24/tea-terminology-101-a-comprehensive-list-of-tea-grades/)is a glossary of weird tea classification terms) ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-tea-and-iced-tea/512833/46 "2009-10-16T14:34:13Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > So far I’ve tried 5 varieties of Twinnings (hot) tea - English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast, Earl Grey, Lady Grey, and Darjeeling. > > So far, Darjeeling is the best. Really good stuff. I also like the flavor of Lady Grey, with orange and lemon peels used for flavoring. > > Where should I go from here? What’s the deal with herbal tea? You can go on to a [Darjeeling sampler](http://www.specialteas.com/Sample-Collections/Darjeeling-Sample-Collection.html). I’ve ordered from this site before and love their teas. I ordered an Assam sampler from them that I loved. Or you can try a [Black Tea Sampler](http://www.adagio.com/black/black_sampler.html?SID=1bbb498bdfa75a094c9fa297c3f50c8c) from my favorite tea site online. To me, herbal “tea” is insipid. I like the punch of black tea, and herbals don’t have any part of the tea leaf in them. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-tea-and-iced-tea/512833/47 "2009-10-16T14:54:39Z")
> [@](#): > > I make it two quarts at a time, two Luzianne family sized bags and one Celestial peppermint bag, enough boiling water to cover and then steep. After about half an hour, I remove the tea bags and fill the pitcher up with water. If you like it sweetened, stir the sugar in while it is still warm enough to dissolve it. Pretty easy. That’s about how I do it, But instead of Peppermint I use a bag of Raspberry Zinger or one of the berries. Great taste with no calories. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-tea-and-iced-tea/512833/48 "2009-10-16T21:04:56Z")
Anyone have one of those kettles with the electronic heater built in? Does it work well? I’m looking to start making proper tea, and I’m wondering if it would be more efficient and/or faster (compared to a gas stove) just to use one of those, especially since I’m only making one cup worth at a time. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-tea-and-iced-tea/512833/49 "2009-10-16T22:30:31Z")
I have a T-Fal Vitesses, and I LOVE it. I use it several times a day. One cup’s-worth of water boils in about a minute, and I do think it tastes better than microwaved water for tea, somehow. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-tea-and-iced-tea/512833.md?page=2)